Battle the Dark: Chapter 25

Jack sat alone, while Sam and Shaun played 'fort.'  He was feeling strange, not sure how to place his emotions, but he just knew he was hurting.  Something felt wrong in his stomach; it was constantly sickish, as if he ate something bad.  At night, he didn't sleep well, thinking of what his father might be enduring.  He wanted to hurt the man who took him, and hurt him until he stopped breathing for what he did to his mother and father.  Sitting alone, facing his back to the others, he put his earphones in and disappeared.


A bit later, Shaun tapped his shoulder and signaled for him to remove the earphones.  "Sam went to go see his little brother,"  Shaun said.  "I thought it might be a good time to talk."  


"About what?  All you do is try and catch me doing something wrong."


"Not true.  Well, not entirely."


"Uhuh,"  He put his earphones back in, at which Shaun pulled them out by the wire.  "Hey, come on!"


"You might be able to block me out, but you can't block out what you hear in your head."


Jack stopped, staring.  How does he know what I hear?   "How do you know?  What do you know about me?  Nothing.  The only one who really understands me...is...."


"Your father?"


Jack's bitterness was shining in his eyes like drops that froze.  "What about him?  You were friends with Zeus, not my Dad."


"I was.  And now, I'm also friends with your father.  Don't say that I'm not.  I respect your father very much.  He's a strong man who loves your family.  I know you are miserable.  I know what him being gone means."


"You don't.  Did you know he was burned, cut and beaten, drugged, electrocuted, and treated like an animal?  That is what I have in my head."  


Jack's words were caustic, and even though Shaun was a tough guy, he was taken aback.  He felt emotion well up in his own eyes.  "No, I didn't know that.  Is that what he went through?"


Jack folded his arms, denying his need to talk about it and hear someone tell him it would be all right.  "Yeah, and more.  Emotional stuff, stuff that they knew made him scared or remember things; they used it against him."


"And you're worried about him now, being with the same man who had him before, or at least, one of them."


"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"


"Well, for one thing, your father is a badass muther."


Jack's face cracked into a lightness for a moment.  Then he smiled, unable to help himself.  "He is, you're right."


"You like that about him."


"Yeah, he won't take nothing from nobody."


"Then don't worry about him, right?"


"Maybe, but...I don't know, as much of a badass he is, he still has this soft, sort of scaredness.  I don't even know how to say it, that is why I said it that way.  I don't know.  Mom says he's 'wounded,' really bad.  She doesn't mean injured, like beat up or punched or something.  More like..."


"Damaged?"


"I guess."  He became sullen.  


Shaun said, "Jack, your father is very fortunate to have such a loyal son who loves him so much.  He will be back, I can almost guarantee it.  He's been through many things you don't even know about, and lived to tell the tale."


***


John and Timothy had exhausted the latter's list, and had nothing to go on for the location of The Slice and Dice.  Timothy asked, "How did he get such a nickname?"


"Because that's what he does."


Timothy seemed very disturbed.  "What must be going on right this minute, then?  This is a father, an innocent man.  It's horrific."


John sighed, "Yes and no.  Todd is less than innocent, but where this situation is concerned, he is.  The information he had about The Men of 21 was from 10 or more years back.  They believe he still has damaging information now, but they're most likely wrong.  Unless they fear his ability to tell what he learned in captivity.  He's told me all he can remember, so it seems off to me.  Unless there's more he learned when with them and forgot, he has nothing they need."


"The world is going to Hell in a handbasket.  Such a beautiful family, he has, the lad."


"Yes, he does."


"We must do something.  I wonder if my contacts at the RA21 know something about where The Men of 21 are housed in the homeland?"


John thought a moment, "They may, what are you suggesting?"


"I'm suggesting we head to the Old Country and track these menaces down.  Are you with me, McBain?"


"I am game if you are.  Remember, you just got away from there, because your life was in danger."


"So is Todd's, and who, of the two of us, has more to lose and more people depending on him and waiting on him?"


"I promise to do everything I can to assure your safe return."


"That I trust, young man.  Let me get home and get organized.  I am assuming you'll take care of the travel arrangements?"


"Certainly.  Meet me back here in about an hour, is that enough?"  


"Yes,"  I want to go get a few things, and tell my sister what I am doing.  We'll find something, we have to believe that."


***


"Get up."


Todd had dozed, somehow ignoring the itch and pain on his back.  The marks were taut, and strained when he moved.  A few were seeping.  "I'll sit, but I'll need help to stand up, I think."


"Relying on me?  How touching."


Todd felt his stomach turn again.  "What else can I do?  You have my hands tied.  By the way, my fingers are losing feeling."


"I'll free them later.  But I have to make sure you're not strong enough to overtake me once those hands are free.  I've felt your punch, you're quite a strong guy.  Until I work on you."


"Exactly, and right now, I can barely move.  My back, it's different than before.  Different than the old days."


"Yeah, it is.  I did a lot more at once this time.  In the past, you had a few guys doing different stuff, with longer breaks.  This was just me and you."


"I know, I was there."  At times, Todd felt like the man was speaking love songs to him in his own way.  "There was no one else here.  You did quite a job."


"And you didn't lose it.  You're right here.  See how times change?  Things progress.  People bond."


You call this bonding?  "You know, I find you completely repulsive, and I plan to kill you when I get the chance, but you're sort of morbidly interesting at the same time.  I really try sometimes to think how you got the way you are."


"That interests you because you were once a monster, like I am.  And you know what made you you, so you're guessing at what made me me."


Todd couldn't refute him, he just said, "I was a monster, I won't deny that.  But I'm sorry for all of that now, it's behind me.  What can you say for yourself?"


Tap. Tap. Tap.  "This is my way of life.  Something that I need to do.  It gets me off."


"You've said that before.  Are you going to tell me more, about what you started to talk about the other day?"  Todd asked.


"Maybe.  Probably not.  Possibly, yes.  Take your pick."


Todd, still seated, felt exhausted.  He really was too weak to do much.  In fact, he was certain that if his hands were freed, he would not be able to do anything to forward his goal.  "They're going to kill me."


"Smart guy.  That's the plan.  I'll miss you."


Todd regulated his breathing as not to vomit, and closed his eyes to remove the black.  He would fight the inky presence, he would battle the dark.  He didn't want the last days of his life to be in an artificial world, no matter how much better it was there.  He had to stay alert and look for his chance.  "I can't say the same."


"That's perfectly fine.  Wasn't expecting it.  So, what do you want to know?"


"How did you get into...you know, what you're into?"


"This is off-limits shit.  I'm not giving you anything on me, so give it up."


"Fine.  Then, tell me everything.  Tell me the things I don't remember."


"Why?  What will that bring to you?"


Todd thought.  "I think I'd finally be at peace.  I could face it all and move on."


Leona laughed.  "You won't have enough time left to do all that.  Once you find out, it will be a devastating part of the end.  Not too much fun."


"I'm going to kill you, I'm telling you.  If I get my chance, I'll rip your f#cking head off, just for how you touched Blair, and that wouldn't even touch the stuff you've done to me."


"It feels good to say it, right?  To get that hatred out, and think about doing exactly what you said?  You can see yourself, pulling my head right off me, can't you?"


"Yeah, I can."  


"Exactly.  What's the difference between you and I?"


Todd stared at the man, realizing that his nemesis really didn't see himself as the world did.  "I'm human?"


Without warning, The Slice and Dice whisked the knife quickly in what Todd thought was the air, until he felt a burn on his cheek, along his jaw.  "Yeah, human.  Feel that?"


"F#ck you," Todd said, and Leona brought back his arm.  It all slowed for him; he saw Blair for a moment.  This is it.  I die now, never mind later.  He's going to cut my throat.


It was all interrupted by the phone, in Leona's pocket, again.  It was Carlo.  Time to move.


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