Chapter 2

When Jack woke up, he was confused about where he was. Then he remembered Evelyn and the three boys. He was amazed at how great he felt. He hadn't felt so good in a long time. His stomach was full and he had a whole nights sleep without being interrupted. This could easily be a façade though, so there was no way in hell Jack was staying. He knew Jim would be pissed when he got home, but it was his own fault for passing out before he got there.

Jack quickly got out of bed and exited the room, making his way to the front door. He was quietly opening it when he felt someone's presence behind him. Jack spun around and found Bobby in front of him.

"Where are you going?" Bobby asked.

Jack didn't even bother answering before he took off out the door and down the street. To his relief Bobby didn't follow. When Jack turned the corner he stopped running and started walking. He recognized where he was. It really wasn't too far from his house. Jack was glad he didn't have to walk far, but at the same time he wished that it would take longer so, he wouldn't have to face Jim's wrath when he got home.

About ten minutes later Jack reached his house and quietly walked through the front door. He carefully shut the door, succeeding in making not a single sound. When Jack turned around his chest hitched. Jim was sitting in the recliner, eyes wide open, staring at him.

"Where the fuck you been boy?!"

"Angel." Evelyn called from the kitchen

"Yeah Ma." he said as he walked into the room.

"Did you see Jack at school today?" She asked worriedly.

Angel let out a sad sigh. "Ma, it's been four days. I haven't seen him in Mr. Garrison's class. I don't know where he is."

Evelyn stopped what she was doing and turned around to face her youngest. "Angel I don't know what to do. I want to help him, but I don't know how. I asked the agency about him, but they said that his social worker didn't see anything wrong so there is nothing they can do about it." Evelyn shook her head tiredly.

"Tell me the address." Bobby said as he walked in the room overhearing their conversation.

Evelyn gave him a loving look. "Bobby you know I can't do that."

"Ma, all I have to say is I was walking by and heard loud crashes coming from inside." Bobby said reasonably.

Evelyn sighed. "And if there are no loud crashes. I don't think Mr. Mayer will appreciate you barging in."

"To Mr. Mayer, I'm a man preaching religion, and if Jack needs help, this man of religion is going to religiously kick Mr. Mayer's ass." Bobby said with a smile of his face.

Evelyn considered her eldest son's words. "Okay Bobby, but if there is nothing visibly wrong, don't push it. I don't need you in jail."

Bobby gave Evelyn a small kiss on the cheek and left the house with the boy's address.

When Bobby arrived at the address he wasn't too surprised to see that the house was a shit hole. With a loud sigh, Bobby straightened himself up and knocked on the door. Nobody answered so he knocked again, a little louder.

"Jack, answer the god damn door!" A man from inside the house yelled. Bobby could already feel his anger boiling inside when the front door creaked open.

"He-" Jack began to greet before he realized who was at the door. "Look just go away." Jack begged.

"Like hell I am. Look at you! You look ten times as worse." Bobby yelled in a whisper.

"I'm fine." Jack said getting angry that these people wouldn't just leave him alone. They just couldn't understand that he'd rather be here than some of the other homes he had been too.

"Like hell you are. Kid, you're covered in dry blood." He said motioning over Jack's body.

"Jack, who is it?!" The man from inside yelled making Jack jump.

"Just a sales man." Jack yelled back before turning back to Bobby. "You need to leave now! I don't need your help." He said trying to shut the door.

Bobby slammed his hand against the door, keeping it from shutting. "Hey Mr. Mayer! I think we should have a talk!" Bobby yelled.

Jack's eyes went wide with horror and he tried harder to shut the door, but it didn't work. Jack felt hands grip the back of his neck and throw him backwards where he landed on the ground painfully and let out a muffled whimper.

"And who the fuck are you?" The man answered the door.

Bobby stared him down. Or more like up. This man was way bigger than Bobby and Bobby wasn't sure if he could beat this guy.

"I'm Bobby Mercer and I'm spreading the Christian beliefs." He said with a threatening smirk on his face.

The man didn't find Bobby amusing and turned to look at Jack who was crumpled on the ground from pain. "This your doin kid?!" he yelled.

"N-no I don't know him!" Jack screamed in defense.

"You little scum bag! You told someone didn't you?!"

"NOO!" Jack yelled.

Bobby taped the man's shoulder. "Excuse me sir. I don't like the way you're treating God's youth." he said through gritted teeth.

The man wiped around. "Yeah, well it's none of your god damn business!"

"Well, you see it is because…" Bobby paused trying to come up with some holy reason why, but he just couldn't so he decided to do it his way. "Oh fuck it! Look asshole, either you hand the kid over to me or I call the cops." Bobby said even though he REALLY did not want to get the cops involved. He was no dumb ass though. This guy was way bigger than him and Bobby would be over his head if things turned rough.

"Hmmm…I think we should let Jack choose. He's 15, I think he should get a say in things." he said turning to Jack. "So Jack, do you wanna stay with me or go with this perv?"

Jack was standing again, but looked miserable and in a lot of pain, but at the same time he looked defiant. "I said that I'm fine here." Jack said loudly to Bobby.

Mr. Mayer turned back to Bobby. "See, I think the kid has made up his mind. Now get lost!" He yelled slamming the door in Bobby's face.

Bobby cursed under his breathe and immediately knew he couldn't handle this guy on his own. So, since he didn't have a phone he ran to go get help…his kind of help.

"You little fucker! You pussy! You are going to pay dearly for telling that man what goes on in MY house!" Jim yelled pushing Jack to the ground and hitting and kicking him over and over again. "Have the past few days not been enough for you!? I thought the day you came back from being gone a whole day would have taught you a lesson. I guess I'll have to keep teaching!"

Jack didn't let out a single sound as he took punch after punch and kick after kick. He wouldn't allow himself to do that.

He was holding in his pain pretty well until Jim pinned his forearm to the ground, his foot between his elbow and wrist, and then he reached down and yanked up on his wrist causing it and his forearm to snap. He let out a blood curdling scream, feeling anguish and complete pain all over!

"I didn't say shit to that ass! I didn't say shit to anyone!!!" Jack yelled through tears.

"Then how the hell did Bobby Mercer end up coming to my house claiming to be fucking religious!?"

Jack let out a series of hysterical laughs. Laughs of someone who had been pushed to far; they were the laughs of someone who had been broken one to many times.

"He-he was a fucking Mercer?! That means he's the Michigan Mauler! Oh my god how did I not know that!" He said through his tears and hysterics.

"What the fuck is wrong with you kid!?" Jim said as he landed a swift kick to Jack's face.

Jack laughed on, spiting blood. "'What the fuck is wrong with me'!? Hehehe…I'll tell you what's wrong with me!" His voice went from hysterics to deadly in a matter of seconds. "It's bastard people like you!"

"What did you just say to me you fuck?!" The man growled and took hold of Jack's bloodied hair, hauling him off the ground. "So you think your tough kid. Okay then go on what else you got." Jim said in a provoking manner, releasing his grip on Jack.

Jack straightened up and said venomously, "You are a drunken prick! You have no life, that's why you feel the need to fuck mine up more than it already is. You beat on me cause you're not man enough to handle someone your own fucking age and…" Jack leaned in closer for his last words. "… you're just hung over the fact that you're wife and two kids left you because you're a good for nothing bast-" Jack was cut off with punch to the face.

Before Jack could react, Jim had his belt around his neck and was strangling him. Jack didn't even put up a fight though. He was ready to go. He figured death was better than anything in life could offer him.

"How do you like that you little shit!?" Jim yelled at the now unconscious boy as he continued to cut off his air supply, trying to kill him.

Just then Jim heard his door get kicked in and his trashed living room soon filled with a bunch of thugs; the one in front being none other, than Bobby Mercer.

Bobby was furious with the sight in front of him. He couldn't tell if the kid was dead or alive. He quickly leapt into action and slammed the butt of his gun against Mr. Mayer's fucked up little head. He then proceeded in grabbing the limp boy from his clutches. He just as quickly left the house with only two of the men he had brought with him, leaving the rest to finish the man off and clean up the mess. That man deserved death. It was the only way to deal with sick men like him.

"Ben, start the car and drive us to the ER. This kid is gonna need medical attention. Hurry!" Bobby shouted as he climbed into the back with the limp and bloody kid still in his arms.

About four minutes of maniac driving they made it to the ER where they burst through doors. People gave them funny looks until their eyes caught the sight of the kid in Bobby's arms. Then they all let out gasps and looks of pity filled their faces.

"Hey! I need help here!" Bobby yelled as two nurses and what looked to be a doctor rushed towards him.

One of the nurses felt for a pulse while the other got hold of a gurney. The doctor waited until the nurse with the gurney arrived.

"There's a pulse, it's slightly irregular, but he's in no danger of dying. Sir, can you follow us please." The nurse said taking hold of his gurney and pushing him into a curtained are where the doctor looked him over while a nurse undressed him.

The other nurse quickly pulled the curtain closed while she talked to Bobby. "We're going to need to know what happened, okay? And no bullshit Mercer!" The nurse finished with a grin.

Then Bobby recognized her. She went to watch a lot of hockey games at the rink and would bring her medical kit with her for fun. She was the chick that fixed up a lot of the guys that Bobby played against. Jessica her name was.

"Well yes ma'am Miss Jessica."

Jessica gave him a tiny smirk and then gently grabbed his forearm. "Common, I'll take you to the waiting are until they have more information on his condition."

Bobby did as she said and then told her A story of what happened. Basically just that he was walking up to the courts when he saw and boy stumbling around the streets. When Bobby approached him, he collapsed so Bobby brought him in.

"And I'm supposed to believe this Bobby?"

"Why yes you are because it's none other than the truth." He said flashing her a smile.

She giggled, finishing writing down the information of his story on a report form.

After about two hours and they had finished with all the information that Bobby knew, the doctor that had worked with Jack, entered the waiting area.

"Well," he said looking down at his chart. "The kid is still out cold. He has quite a few abrasions and deeper cuts, and few untreated burns and some other external things. He passed out due to strangulation. He'll definitely have a sore throat for awhile. Bruises cover his whole body. We're lucky there was no internal bleeding. His left wrist is broken in three places. Both his radius and ulna are broken in the same arm as his broken wrist. He's in surgery right now. He also has a few minor fractures to his ribs, but they should be fine as long as he doesn't engage in any extreme activity for a while. I've notified the police and social services. You'll have to make a police report." The doctor said finishing up. "Do you need to know anything else?"

"Umm…was there any…" Bobby struggled to say what he was thinking, but thankfully the doctor finished for him.

"Sexual abuse?" Bobby shook his head up and down. "No, not any new signs of recent sexual abuse anyway. Are you related to the boy? I probably shouldn't be telling you all this."

"No, but I do know the kid." Bobby offered sadly.

Just then Evelyn came rushing in to the room.