2- Trust issues (amusement park / role reversal / you got away with the crime while the knife's in my back)
TK got to his feet, barely ten minutes after sitting down, when shadows surrounded him. He recognized the sound of safety catches being removed from firearms and felt terror wash over him. Exhausted, having eaten nothing since the evening before and convinced that the terrorists had found him, he began to tremble uncontrollably and his silent tears flowed more freely. He raised his hands as two men approached him, their weapons pointed at him. The first was tall, dark-haired, muscular and had blue eyes. The second was blond, shorter and stockier than his acolyte, and also had blue eyes. Both had bandanas covering their lower faces, which made them look like bandits, but also gave TK hope that they weren't terrorists. However, he knew he wasn't out of danger just yet.
"Who are you?" asked the dark-haired man.
The voice was firm, but not threatening, which the young man took as a good sign. Fear still knotting his insides, he replied in a trembling voice.
"TK."
"What are you doing here?"
"I promised my husband I'd do everything I could to escape them."
"Where's your husband?"
The scene on the bridge replayed in his mind. Just as they had almost crossed it, gunshots had sounded and Carlos had collapsed. TK had wanted to stop and help him, but the policeman had yelled at him to run and not get caught. With his heart in his mouth, he had done so, aware that all he would gain by helping him would be to die. No sooner had he left the bridge than he regretted abandoning the love of his life; he looked back and his heart sank. The masked men were taking Carlos with them. The policeman's leg was bleeding, and he limped among them without struggling.
"They've got him," he replied.
A sob escaped him as he realized he'd never see his husband again. The blond lowered his weapon, but the other didn't move.
"Search him," he growled.
The shorter of the two then stepped toward him, tucking his pistol into the waistband of his pants behind his back.
"Don't move," he said as he reached him.
TK didn't intend to make the slightest move, as far as his control went, he was still shaking like a leaf. He did his best not to react when the man gave him a search worthy of the best policemen. The man grabbed his wallet from his inside pocket and looked at the contents as he joined his companion.
"First responder?" he asked, pulling out his business card.
"Yes, firefighter paramedic in Austin, Texas."
"What are you doing in New York?"
"We came to spend some time with my half-brother."
The dark-haired man exchanged a glance with his sidekick and lowered his gun.
"If you want, a few of us took refuge here after the attacks started. You're welcome to join us."
"Really?"
TK felt a wave of relief sweep over him as he felt the last of his strength leave him and his legs give way beneath him. The man who had searched him came to his side and helped him to his feet.
"Come on lad, come with us, we've got some food."
The younger man accepted the offered help, gathered his strength and followed the blond. The other man closed the gap, to keep an eye on him or watch their backs? TK didn't know, but he suspected it was a mixture of both.
On the way, he realized they were in some sort of indoor amusement park. The stationary rides, lights out, abandoned puppets and empty mascot costumes gave him the creeps, he felt like he was in a graveyard.
The amusement park was the graveyard of rides, but New York City and at least the surrounding areas were a mass grave. He prayed for his loved ones. He prayed that this nightmare hadn't happened across the United States, and that his father and his friends from 126 would be safe in Texas. He prayed that Jonah and Enzo had survived the attack and were safe somewhere. More than anything, he prayed that Carlos was alive somewhere, that he would survive and that they would be reunited. His cries for him to run were looped in his head, his guilt at having abandoned him growing inside him and feeding his desire for revenge. He promised himself he'd do everything in his power to find him and Jonah. He didn't care about his life now, if it had to be without his husband by his side, it wasn't worth living.
