Chapter 12: Chapter 11
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize. This is the re-uploaded version of Chapter 11.
Eagle had seen his chance as more guards had poured in through the door to try and subdue Cub. Josh was pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. Irritation radiated from him, the fact that his guards couldn't take down a fourteen year old boy made his irritation only grow into anger. Anger allowed people to slip up, like Josh was doing right now, placing all his attention on Cub.
As more guards had rushed in, the door was left open, and Eagle had silently slipped out. No one had noticed, he was sure of it. Everyone's attention was trained on Cub who was in a fit of rage because John had gotten hurt. Snake was looking over the crying child as Ben tried to calm Alex from afar. Wolf seemed to be shocked at how well Cub could fight. When they had found Cub fighting those people they assumed he had been fighting for only a few seconds. It was becoming clear that he had probably been fighting for much longer than they had original thought as he knocked another guard unconscious.
As soon as Eagle had made it out of the room he ran. He had no idea where to find an exit. He hadn't been able to follow which way they had come when they were bought in. His footsteps sounded louder than they should have. The halls were all white. White tile floors, white painted walls, white ceilings and the occasional white door. He had no idea if he was going in a circle or not.
A stairwell appeared on his right. They hadn't gone up or down any stairs on their way in, that much he knew. That meant he had to stay on this floor.
But the sound of several people's footsteps made him jump, and acting quickly he ran down the stairwell hoping that this wasn't the way they were headed. As he pressed himself against the wall as an alarm went off making him jump once again. The people that had been heading his way bypassed the stairs, carrying on down the corridor as the alarm blared overhead.
He waited on the stairwell, thinking. An idea hit him as he waited a few more minutes before going back up the stairs and continuing his pace down the same corridor the men had gone. On the stairs there had been an open paint can, partially filled with deep blue paint. The place had smelled of wet paint and Eagle had found the source, soaking his shirt in it. As he ran he left little droplets near the wall on the floor. He wanted to keep the guards of his trail for as long as possible, but assuming they already knew he had escaped it was only a matter of time before he was caught. He just had to find a way out before his time was up.
After what felt like an hour of running around, avoiding any hallways that already had black paint, and several close calls Eagle finally found his way out. A small receptionist's area with large clear glass doors. A lady sat behind the dark wooden desk, tapping away on a keyboard. There was no way he was going to be able to sneak around her. Dirt covered every inch of him and his dark clothes from Brecon Beacons painstakingly stood out against his white surroundings. The best and only chance he had was to run straight through the small area and hope that they hadn't locked doors.
He hid behind the corner, taking in slow deep breaths, gathering courage. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. With one last breath in, he sprinted across the room, startling the receptionist, who spilled papers all over the floor. Eagle pushed against the doors, only to find them locked. He almost started crying before doing the first thing that came to mind. Taking his foot he smashed it into the glass, only to have it bounce off, twisting painfully.
Panic began to set in as he took in his surrounding, looking for something, anything, that might break the thick glass. The lady behind the desk had pressed a button and Eagle could hear the pounding of feet as they came for him.
He grabbed one of the scattered chairs and threw it against the glass with as much strength as he could muster, praying that it would be enough. A smile graced his face as the glass shattered, and he ran through the busted door before the dust could settle.
The guards came around the corner just as Eagle leapt through the door. They quickly fired at the figure that was almost to the line of trees. Trees that would make it almost impossible for them to see him. A couple managed to graze their target and Eagle faltered at the pain, but he powered through and kept going. He reached the tree line just as reinforcements arrived.
He didn't stop though. He kept running until he felt like he was going to collapse. He didn't know how safe he was, but it was starting to get dark. It would be difficult to find him the dark forest, especially considering he still had on most of his uniform. He leaned against a tree, breathing in the fresh air and waiting for his racing heart to calm. All he had to do now was find a way out of the forest and get help.
But first he needed to rest, otherwise he wouldn't get far before collapsing. He was no use exhausted. He walked a little farther from the way he had come before climbing a tree and settling on a sturdy branch. He didn't move very much when he slept so he didn't have to worry about falling off, but all the same he, made sure not go up too high just in case.
After getting as comfortable as he could Eagle closed his eyes and fell asleep.
When Alex woke he was still tied up. He was sweaty but it wasn't due to any heat. With another night came another nightmare.
Slowly Alex sat up, making sure not to move to fast. He was sore from the brutal kicks that he had received yesterday, and today he had a feeling he was going to receive much worse. Josh was going to punish him and Alex knew he wasn't going to be forgiving.
Slowly everyone else awoke, Ben being the first and John being the last. Alex didn't say a word to anyone. He felt too guilty. His rash actions had ended up getting everyone punished. He should have checked to make sure John was okay before he went and started knocking people out. He knew he had no check when it came to his anger, and it was something that would get him killed one day, or worse. It could get someone else killed.
That's how things always ended up. Everyone he met ended up in danger just because they knew him. It would be easier if he just died, but he was too useful. There were too many lives he could save. Besides he had to make sure everyone got out okay before he could completely give up.
No one attempted to talk to him except for Ben and John. Ben was able to talk Alex into letting him take off the ropes. It took a while because the knots were so tight but after a while Ben was finally able to completely free Alex from the ropes.
John really did talk to Alex though. He could tell that Alex wasn't happy with himself, John's older brother sometimes acted this way and John would curl up with him, comforting him to the best of his six year old ability.
Flashback
John's older brother Kevin had finally arrived home. John was ecstatic, running over to greet his big brother, asking him how his day was and practically begging Kevin to play with him.
"Come on Kev let's play! I'll let you be the good guy this time! I promise! Please!" John's bright blue eyes looked up at him. He still hadn't master the 'kicked-puppy-dog look,' but he was definitely getting closer. Not that Kevin would ever fall prey to it. He still used it himself from time to time.
"Sorry John but I'm not in the mood today." Kevin smiled down at his brother, tousling John's soft brown hair while dropping his book bag at the bottom of the stairs, before going over and plopping down on the couch. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.
Today had been a bad day. First he had been late for class, then during lunch he had tripped, and his food had ended up all over Megan, the most popular girl in school. Before the last class of the day Kevin had gotten into a fight, which his mom would surely end up grounding him for. Then right before he left school his girlfriend had broken up with him. She wanted a more attentive boyfriend, and Kevin always seemed to have too much on his plate to hang out with her.
A small amount of pressure on his chest pulled Kevin out of his thoughts, looking down he saw the top of John's head leaning against his chest.
"What's the matter Kev?" He asked. While his puppy-dog face needed work, he definitely had that 'I'm-innocent' voice down.
Kevin gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, "I just had a bad day at school is all."
"Can I help make you happy again?"
Kevin gave a small chuckle before running his hand through John's hair which was similar to his own. They could have been twins if not for the fact that Kevin was ten years older.
"How about I make some snacks and then we can watch some cartoons?"
"Can I pick?" John asked, his face lighting up with a smile. They weren't allowed to watch much television, as their mom didn't want them becoming couch potatoes.
"Of course. What do you want to eat, buddy?" Kevin asked picking John up and placing him down on the cushion next to him.
"I want a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich please."
Kevin walked into the kitchen, quickly making two sandwiches and pouring them both a glass of apple juice. When he returned to the living room John was sat on the couch flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch.
Kevin put the snacks down on the coffee table and sat back down next to John, who had finally picked a show, although not a cartoon. 'How it's Made' played out on the screen and they sat back, watching how mirrors were made with a sandwich in hand.
John curled into Kevin's side as the show progressed, the crumbs being the only evidence they had even had sandwiches. Kevin ran his fingers through John's hair, something that relaxed them both, and soon Kevin's worries were in the back of his mind. Of course he would have to deal with most of them later, but for now he would relax with his little brother and learn how mirrors were made.
End Flashback
Alex had his back against the wall, John curled into his side, just like he did with Kevin. Alex carded his fingers through the child's hair, slowly pushing him to sleep. Alex didn't know why but he found himself relaxing slightly, and soon his worries had been pushed to the back of his mind. John amazed Alex. He had no idea why he was dragged into this (most likely as ransom) but John had stayed relatively calm though all of this, or as calm as a kidnapped six year old could be.
K-unit sat watching the two youngest in the room. Alex had a calm blank look on his face, almost similar to his no-emotions mask, but different in a way the men couldn't quite put their fingers on. John lay in the teens lap, fighting the inevitable oncoming sleep. If one looked closely it was almost as if Alex was smiling down at the child. No one said anything, too afraid to ruin the calm. Opting instead to just watch.
Wolf only hoped Eagle could find help before the small amount of human left in Cub disappeared. Before Cub was completely destroyed.
It was obvious by the teen's blank face that something inside him was broken. No child held such a look. A look that only the longest serving veterans held. Wolf had realized that he was part of the problem. He had been rude from the start. Most would think that after Point Blanc Wolf and Cub would have gotten along, instead Wolf had treated him like crap the second the kid had come back to Brecon Beacons. He hadn't even given him a chance.
He just hoped that he would have the chance to make it up to Cub. With Snake, Ben and John they should be able to help Cub at least a little before rescue came, and when they were finally freed they would be there to help him. But it also landed on Cubs own shoulders, for it was only if Cub let them, could they actually help him. Until then they had to work to gain his trust, a process that Wolf knew would be a lot harder than anything else he had ever done.