I'M UPDATING! Though I should really be updating other things right now. I'm not gonna mention anything specific (coughcoughcoughi'llcoveryoucoughcoughcough), but certain stories of mine have been keeping people waiting. Those stories will be updated soon. I hope my URF peeps heard that. If not, THERE'S NO NEED TO THINK ABOUT THROWING THINGS AT ME! I'M SERIOUSLY GONNA UPDATE . . . THAT STORY! Okay.
I own nothing The Almighty Larson owns it all, except the title and Matt. Those two things belong to i'llbeyourcoat and Gema227.
After a few minutes, Collins' tears were slowing up, though he remained lying on the floor. In time his position changed from him being face down to him being on his side. He was still at the bottom of the stairs and he had his eyes closed, hoping that when he opened them he'd be back home safe in his bed next to Angel.
He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. The way they sounded confirmed his thoughts that there was more than one person coming toward him. After a while the footsteps stopped and Collins felt eyes (he wasn't sure of how many pairs) staring at him.
"Is he dead?" a voice he'd never heard before asked.
"He could be," he heard Jack's voice reply.
"I hope he is," a cold voice that could only be Matt's said. Everyone who was in the room, save Collins, shared a small laugh.
"That wasn't very nice," a new voice said, chuckling.
"You ain't gotta be nice to him," another new voice said. "He's a hostage." At the sound of this voice, Collins' eyes snapped open. He'd heard that voice before. He knew that voice.
"Looks like your dreams have been crushed, Matt," Nick said as he and Jack pulled Collins to his feet. Collins then scanned the six people that surrounded him and matched the face with the voice he was so familiar with.
"Rob?" he said in shock, his voice dripping with fear.
"Wait a minute," Matt said. "Is he the cousin you said you can't stand?" Rob cast a hateful glare at Collins.
"Yeah," he said, still glaring. "That's him."
"Are we going the right way?" Maureen asked Roger, who was in the driver's seat of Linda's van trying to read a map.
"Yes Maureen," Roger replied, rolling his eyes.
"You sure?"
"Um . . . pretty sure."
"You're not 100 percent sure?"
"Well . . . no."
"Then I think we should stop and ask for dire-"
"I'm perfectly capable of finding my way to Albany, Maureen!" Roger interrupted. "I have a map!"
"Well, if you asked for directions, we'd probably get there faster!" Maureen snapped.
"Maureen, I'm using a map so shut up and let me drive!"
"What isit with men and asking for directions!?"
"And what is it with women and maps!?"
"Will you two please stop fighting!?" Joanne asked angrily.
"Tell him to stop and ask for directions!" Maureen shouted.
"I'm not fucking stopping Maureen!" Roger shouted back.
"ROGER, SHUT THE FUCK UP AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONS! MAUREEN . . . JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Angel yelled, irritated.
"Wow," Mimi said after a small silence. In fear of facing the wrath of a drag queen with a pocket knife, Roger stopped the van at a gas station. He got out of the van and Angel practically dove out after him. They both walked into the station and went up to the counter.
"Can I help you?" the cashier said.
"Yeah," Roger said. "We need directions to Albany."
"Directions to Albany?" the cashier repeated.
"Yeah."
"Preferably the fastest way," Angel added.
"Why?" the cashier asked.
"Well," Roger looked at the cashier's name tag, "Chuck, we're kind of in a hurry."
"What's the rush?" Chuck asked.
"We're just in a hurry."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"It doesn't matter why we're in a hurry! LIVES ARE AT STAKE!" Angel practically screamed.
"It wouldn't have anything to do with that kidnapping that's on the news every five minutes with updates, would it?" Chuck asked.
"Yeah," Roger said in slight shock. "How'd you know?"
"Well, you're headed to Albany and an hour ago the cops were headed to Albany lookin' for the kidnappers," Chuck said. "So I assumed that since you said lives are at stake you were talkin' about that."
"How the hell did you assume all that out of four words?" Angel asked, suspiciously.
"I'm pretty good at figuring things out," Chuck replied.
"Can you just give us directions, please?" Roger asked.
"That depends on where you're comin' from."
"New York."
"Well, congratulations. You made it all the way to Oneonta."
"Where do we go from here?"
"Just head . . . west."
"West?"
"Yup."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure. I've lived here all my life."
"Okay. Thanks." Angel gave Chuck another suspicious look before she and Roger left the gas station.
About fifteen minutes later a car pulled up in front of the gas station and Alexander walked in.
"Next time you want somebody to go undercover, don't pick me," Chuck said.
"You know as well as I do that anyone else would've blown it," Alexander replied. Chuck rolled his eyes. "Anything I should know?"
"A couple people who said they were lookin' for you came in here."
"Me?"
"Well, the two hostages actually."
"Police?"
"No. Friends, I guess. They wanted directions to Albany."
"None of us are in Albany."
"I know, but they must know that we're plannin' to go."
"You didn't give them directions, did you?"
"Yeah . . . I told 'em to head west. So by the time we're in Albany, they'll be in Avon or Buffalo."
"Excellent. I assume we can join the others now." Chuck nodded, followed Alexander out to his car, and immediately noticed the three holes in the trunk.
"Did you shoot your car or somethin'?" he asked.
"No, I drilled holes in it," Alexander explained.
"Why?"
"Because there's a little girl in the trunk, who likes to scream and cry every second of every minute."
"So you put her in the trunk to shut her up?"
"That and she tried to turn me in to the police."
"I have to go to the bathroom!" Susie called from the trunk.
"Hold it!" Alexander told her.
"I can't!"
"I don't care!"
"But I have to go really badly!"
"I. Don't. Care."
"Please!?"
"You know, when a kid says they gotta go, they gotta go," Chuck said.
"Your point?" Alexander replied.
"You want her to piss in your trunk?" Alexander sighed.
After letting Susie go to the bathroom and deciding that she was quiet enough to sit in the car, Alexander was on the road again, Chuck in the passenger's seat and Susie in the back.
"So, you still datin' that drag queen?" Rob asked. He had been assigned to keep an eye on Collins and was rather happy about it. It meant he got to make him more miserable than he already was.
"What's it to you?" Collins retorted.
"Just wonderin'."
"Yeah."
"I don't know how ya'll made it this long."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"She undoubtedly thinks you're just late comin' home. She's probably sittin' on the couch watchin' t.v." Rob took a moment to watch Collins' facial expression. "Or maybe she's not watchin' t.v. Maybe she's with someone else. Someone more important than you."
"That's not true," Collins said, trying his best to keep all traces of wanting to cry out of his voice.
"Think about it. You're gone for hours and you don't hear from her?"
"That doesn't mean she doesn't care!" Tears were burning Collins' eyes.
"You know it does! You just don't wanna admit it!"
"You're a fucking liar! If it was Angel who got kidnapped I'd do everything I can to bring her back home! And it's the same with her!"
"I'm the liar? You're fucking lying to yourself! She ain't comin' for you! She doesn't know where you are, and she doesn't care! Get it through your thick ass head!"
"Angel . . . does care about me."
"And you're supposed to be smart? Damn. For a smart person, you're fucking stupid." Suddenly infuriated, Collins punched Rob in the face, earning himself a punch in the stomach. Officially sick of getting hit in the stomach, Collins kneed Rob in the crotch just as Lisa came down the stairs holding Alexander's car keys.
"Rob, Alex is here and he . . ." she stopped and looked at Rob, who was crouched over. "What happened to you?"
"The bastard got what he was askin' for," Collins said angrily.
Lisa stifled her laughter and said, "Alex wants you upstairs Rob." Rob practically limped up the stairs, nearly colliding with Susie, who was running down the stairs.
"COLLINS!" she yelled happily. She ran to Collins and hugged his waist (which is as high as she could reach). He picked her up and held her close. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"Same here," Collins replied. "I was so afraid he was gonna kill you."
"This isn't fair," Lisa said. "This wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to take the money and leave."
"Well, the police were surrounding the building," Collins pointed out, putting Susie back on the floor. He then noticed the keys in Lisa's hand. "What do those go to?"
"Alex's car," Lisa said. "He wants me to go switch it for one of his other five cars."
"Where is he right now?"
"Upstairs in some room I'm not allowed in with all the guys. Why?"
"How easy would it be to break outta here with them upstairs?"
"Very." Collins smiled. "You're not suggesting . . . oh no."
"Why not?"
"I know what these people are capable of."
"So?"
"So, I know what they'd do to you two if you got caught trying to escape."
"Lisa, please. If you don't do it for me, do it for Susie. All she wants in life is a mom and a dad. You're not gonna deny her the chance of having a family, are you?"
"Okay, okay. But you have to be careful. And I'm coming with you."
About An Hour Later
"Where are we?" Susie asked.
"I have no idea actually," Collins replied. "I'm just drivin' in the opposite direction that they were drivin'."
"You were in the back of a van," Lisa told him. "How do you even know what direction they were going?"
"Sure, crush my hopes."
"Sorry, but-" Lisa stopped in mid sentence and looked in the rearview mirror with widened eyes. "Oh. My. God."
"What?" Collins asked, getting worried.
"They're following us." Lisa's voice was a whisper.
"What?"
"THEY'RE FOLLOWING US!" Collins looked in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, the van was behind them, Matt, who was driving, Nick, and a very angry looking Alexander all in the front of it.
"SHIT!" he exclaimed. He sped up and the van did as well.
"Collins, slow down!" Lisa told him.
"I'm not takin' any chances of gettin' caught by them!" Collins replied.
"They're gaining on us!" Susie informed them. The van suddenly hit the back of the car. "I think they're trying to run us over!" Collins and Lisa both turned their heads to look out the back window as Susie's eyes widened. "COLLINS, LOOK OUT!"
Collins turned back around quickly and saw that the road ended at a cliff. He slammed on the brake, stopping the car just in time, as Matt stopped the van.
"Everybody okay?" Collins asked, shaking slightly.
"I think so," Lisa replied.
"I saw my whole life flash before my eyes," Susie said. "Wow. I haven't lived very long." The three of them then heard the engine of the van revving and turned around to see Matt smiling sadistically while gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"He wouldn't," Collins said. The engine revved even more.
"He would," Susie said. Matt stepped on the gas, still smiling.
"He's gonna," Lisa said. The van rear-ended the car and sent it flying off the cliff, all three passengers screaming as they fell.
Wow. Can you say cliff hanger? No pun intended. Who do you think is gonna live? Who do you think is gonna die? Why am I asking you these questions if I control everyone's fate in this story? Whatever. Review please.