Work's really getting in the way of my posting schedule! Very interested to see what you all think of this next chapter.

Chapter 19

Noble whistled merrily as he pulled an old rolling chair over for himself.

Jamie continued to struggle against his bindings as he glanced over at Eddie. His throat burned at the panic he saw in her beautiful blue eyes; it cut him to the core to see her in this involved in any of this, it had nothing to do with her. "You can't do this, Noble," he said, fighting to keep his voice even.

Noble was busy dumping the contents of a small glassine bag onto the table, tapping the edge of Eric Weller's useless credit card along the surface to make sure the drugs were crushed into a fine powder, mimicking what he had done to Richie years ago. "Oh, but I can," he grinned. "It's your turn to take your medicine."

Jamie shook his head and attempted to wet his lips as he debated what, if anything, he could say to get through to Noble, he just wasn't sure how calm he would be able to remain while he pleaded their case, but he had to try. "Noble, listen to me, let us go, man. We'll pretend none of this ever happened. Just walk away, go back to Colorado, go back to your life there -"

"Life?!" Noble barked with a crazed look that had Eddie shirking away from him. He turned to face Jamie and pinned him with a smoldering glare. "Is that some sort of joke!? I have no life there! My life was here and you took it away!"

The patented Reagan Irish temper Jamie was so good at keeping in check broke free as Noble did it again, dumped the blame for all of his misery at his feet. "Stop with the pity party already! You're family was going to kill you! Don't you get that?! And they could still come after you!"

"Jamie," Eddie warned quietly, not wanting him to make things worse no matter how true his words were.

"Because of you! Because I was stupid enough to fall for your little 'buddy' act!" Noble screamed while jamming his finger into the center of Jamie's chest.

"You came looking for me, you idiot!" Jamie spat in his face, taking deep breaths when he was done as if he'd just gone ten rounds in the ring.

Noble's face became pinched with anger, a miniscule part of him agreeing that he had sought Jimmy out for a long time before his calls were finally answered, but the self-righteous narcissist in him would never admit that out loud. "And now it's time for you to pay for everything I've lost."

"No! We're not doing this!" Jamie yelled.

"Yes, you are!" Noble growled as he went back to forming a neat, straight line with the drugs. "I could try forcing you like I did to Richie, practically shoving his face into the stuff before I gave him a more convincing little nudge. That might be fun, but even better would be to see which one of you will be the first to sacrifice yourself for the other." Noble picked up the syringe and brought it to eye level as he studied the cloudy liquid inside. "I bet all I'd have to do is get near your beautiful wife here like this," he said as he rolled his chair in front of Eddie, blocking Jamie's view of her again.

Eddie flinched away from Noble as he ran the back of two fingers down the side of her face. She tried blinking away the tears filling her eyes, knowing he was using her again to get to Jamie and didn't utter a word out of fear that her voice would crack and give proof of how terrified she was.

"Noble, I swear to God, I'm going to kill you!"

"You can't do that, you're a good guy. I'm the criminal, remember?" Noble said calmly as he smiled back at Eddie.

Eddie swallowed thickly, summoning the courage to keep it together. "You're not getting away with this," she proclaimed as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took, trying to remain strong and defiant for herself and for Jamie.

Noble thought it was cute that she was putting up a brave front. "I think I am," he said before pulling the cap off the syringe with his teeth and spitting it out to one side. Noble bunched up the sleeve of her sweater and ran the tip of the needle along the length of her forearm, lightly scratching the surface of her delicate skin. Eddie grimaced at the sensation, fearing that he'd make good on his threats and plunge the needle into her arm.

"Leave her alone, Noble!" Jamie ordered as he kept fighting to get free.

Noble carried on, seeing how far he could take this before his friend caved, because he would cave. And if he didn't, he'd have some more fun with the blonde instead. "I've seen how feisty you can get. Not normally my thing, but it was kinda hot," he whispered as fingered the necklace that lay along the soft skin of her chest.

Jamie couldn't take this anymore. Eddie might hate him for it, but he couldn't take seeing her touched or hurt by Noble or anyone else. He would do whatever it took to protect her. "I'll do it! I'll do whatever you want! Just stop...let her go," he pleaded.

"Jamie, no!" Eddie cried from behind Noble.

"Jamie, yes!" Noble chuckled, rolling away from Eddie and placing the syringe back onto the table as he retook his position between them. "See? That didn't take long. You're a true gentleman, Jimmy."

"Jamie...," Eddie trailed off as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. "Please...don't do this," she cried.

Jamie swallowed the lump in his throat, his vision blurry through his own tears as he looked back at the desperation on her face. "Let her go, Noble," he choked out.

"That depends on how well your medicine goes down. And don't worry, considering that you're most likely a virgin when it comes to these things, I won't force you to take too much. Just enough to make you...pliable." Noble rolled closer to Jamie, producing a short, clear straw from his pocket. "You ready, Jimmy?"

"Let her go first," Jamie ordered.

Noble snorted in response. "Seriously? Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"I'm not doing this until you let her go," Jamie stated as he and Eddie silently stared into each other's eyes, he begged for forgiveness while she pleaded him not to play into Noble's game.

"You have no say in this, man. Now, you either do as you're told or I roll back over to your wife and jam that needle in her arm. And I promise you, I'll give you a full view of it," he threatened.

"Don't do this, please!" Eddie begged both men.

Jamie closed his eyes, unable to look at Eddie who was crying softly now. He had no assurances that Noble wouldn't hurt her if he did this, his word was completely worthless but it was all he had. he could only hope that he would let Eddie go and that she could get help, or at the very least, save herself. When he opened them again, it was to look at his wife, the love of his life. Seeing her like this was killing him and he had to take several breaths to get the next words out. "I love you, Eddie Reagan...so much," he declared in a voice thick with emotion.

Eddie didn't want to say it back, afraid that if she did it might the last time she would. But she needed him to hear those words from her too before she broke down any further. "I love you too, Jamie."

Noble rolled his eyes at the two saps. "Come on, man. This isn't a death sentence. Not yet at least."

"Shut up!" Jamie spat back.

"Then do it." Noble grabbed Jamie by the hair and forced his head down as he brought the straw to his nose.

Jamie struggled against Noble, his breath coming out in harsh puffs that blurred the crisp edges of the thick white line Noble had carefully formed on the table.

"You're making a mess! Now do it or I shove the needle in your wife's arm...I'll see how much fun she is then," Noble threatened in his ear.

Jamie whimpered, the sound pathetic to his own ears even over the cries coming from Eddie. He squeezed his eyes shut and allowed Noble to guide his head along the table, breathing in as he prayed to a merciful God that Eddie would get out of this unharmed, already giving up all hope for himself as an intense burn shot through his head and thrust him back against the chair. Jamie groaned as he pushed away from the table. His head was on fire, producing a sharp pain that was short-lived but left a lasting impression on Eddie as she watched her husband suffer for her sake.

"You're going to kill him! Jamie!?" she sobbed.

"You did it man! Little Jameson Reagan lost his cherry! Congratulations!" Noble clapped the other man on the shoulder before turning questioning eyes toward Eddie. "Why are you crying, sweetheart? Look at him! He's gonna start feeling a hell of a lot better than either of us in a minute."

Eddie was seething inside, all of the fear was gone and replaced with an burning anger. She swore she would kill Noble with her very own hands if given the chance. "You need to stop this now! Just go! Leave us alone!"

"Oh, but I'm not done with Jimmy!"

Jamie sighed in relief as the burn began to ease away, leaving him feeling floaty and heavy all at the same time. His head rolled loosely on his neck until it finally fell back and a warm buzz flowed through his body while muffled voices bounced around him.

"Look at him. He's coming around again. It's just the first initial hit that's a real kicker for you newbies," Noble laughed several moments later while Eddie continued to call out to Jamie. "We gotta give him some time, then we can have some real fun."

Time passed until the drugs fully kicked in and a heavy nausea settled along with them, made worse as Noble and Eddie danced around him in dizzying circles. Jamie closed his eyes, willing it all to go away.

Eddie sucked in several deep breaths to calm herself, desperate to know that he was okay. "Jamie, honey? Please, talk to me."

"Wanna go...home," he mumbled as he tried to get out of his chair, tears rolling down his face again. There was something wrong here, a sense of foreboding surrounded him, so strong it was stifling but he couldn't understand why. Jamie squinted at Eddie as the lights behind her began to twinkle like the ones on their Christmas tree, all in rhythm to his racing heart. He stared at her with unblinking eyes hoping to make everything clear again and understand why she was here...why was he here? Her beautiful, silky hair glowed like a halo around her head and all he could think was...my angel...she was so good to him...she shouldn't be here.

"Jimmy, time to look at me, buddy," Noble instructed as he slapped Jamie on the cheek to get his attention.

Jamie turned slowly toward Noble as the world spun around them in circles like some ride at the carnival. Sweat began to dot his forehead as the room grew uncomfortably hot. "Why's...she here?"

"She was key to getting you here, man,"Noble explained. "But no worries. I'll set her free in a minute," he added as he pulled Jamie's gun from the waistband of his jeans, pleased that he now had the real thing and not some kid's toy.

Jamie stared back as Noble's words sank into his brain, his attention then drawn to the weapon and a single thought came to mind. "You promised," he reminded him, somehow that one thought cutting through the haze of the drugs.

"Of course I did," Noble confirmed.

"Tha's a gun," Jamie mumbled hurriedly as his head followed the dark trail left by piece Noble was waving around until it came to a stop right in front of Eddie.

"Very good," Noble chuckled.

"What are you doing?" Eddie asked in a panic.

"Having fun with your husband."

"No...please," Jamie begged with an exaggerated shake of his head, forcing a few droplets of sweat to break free and trickle along his hairline. Somehow the implied threat was clear in his mind while everything else was lost in utter confusion.

"You wanted me to let her go," Noble explained as he came around to face Eddie.

"She has...to go," Jamie gasped, as in away from here, very far away where she would be safe, but he couldn't get his mouth to cooperate the rest of this thoughts.

"You're right. She does. In one minute, I'm gonna squeeze the trigger of your gun here and put a round square through her chest," he explained in a slow and dramatic fashion so that every word as clear to Jamie.

Jamie shook his head from side to side as if that would be enough to stop him. "No!" he cried while his eyes remained frozen on the scene before him. He could see Noble lifting the gun and aiming it directly at Eddie and there was nothing he could do to stop him but listen to her deafening cries for help.

"Wait! Jamie!?" Eddie pleaded as she writhed in her chair, desperate to get away somehow, praying that she wouldn't lose her life here, not like this and not while Jamie watched in horror.

But Noble wouldn't back down. All he did was send his old friend a dark smile as his finger began to squeeze the trigger. "It will all be over soon," he soothed as he fired once.

"No!" Jamie screamed as the barrel of the gun exploded in a brilliant flash of light.