Page 45 of Aftermath

Austin had been quick to divert, and he and Jade had then spent a long time explaining things as well as they could to a ten-year-old. It wasn’t her fault. Sometimes adults drifted apart. No, Mom and Dad didn’t hate each other. She could choose where she wanted to live. Mom and Dad would never hold any decision against her.

To Jade's credit, she'd hidden her disappointment very well when Riley said she didn’t want to leave Bakersfield. While Austin had given them some privacy and went to call his parents, Jade and Riley had made loose plans about fun stuff they could do whenever Riley came to Delano.

Now Riley was asleep, and Austin could see the blotchiness around her eyes and the tears that had soaked her pillow.

This was only the beginning of a new era, and Austin didn’t really know what to feel. For once, there was no anger, though. He was numb, but little sparks of relief flared up inside him every now and then. He was breaking free, something he'd done before. But in a very different setting.

"Gun" had become plural when the madman returned to get Austin and Tim, but just because he held two guns didn’t have to mean more of an upper hand. Because his focus was divided, and Austin prayed there would be at least one window of opportunity.

Austin and Tim didn’t need to speak; a single look was enough for both to understand that this was more than likely their last chance. If they didn’t put up a fight now, they might as well drop dead right here, right now. In fact, they were so consumed by this thought that they barely acknowledged that this was the first time they had seen each other. Austin just registered tall and wiry and dark. Whereas Austin would probably gain leverage in body impact, Tim had speed on his side.

"Let's go." The torturer walked backward up the narrow steps, aiming both guns at Austin and Tim, both of whom were cuffed behind their backs. "I hope you said goodbye to your buddies, because you won't see them again."

Austin didn’t allow the panic to pull him under. He gritted his teeth and climbed the stairs at the same slow pace their kidnapper moved. Austin knew he wouldn’t be able to fight worth a damn if he first had to suffer through another round of torture.

That left a couple opportunities: one when the password had to be punched in to open the door to the torture room, and one if the crazy man had plans to restrain them in said room. He wouldn’t be able to do that while keeping an eye on both Austin and Tim.

Tim seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he subtly nudged his shoulder to Austin's when they approached the top of the landing.

Meanwhile, Mr. Insane was focusing so intently that sweat began to trickle down his neck, appearing under the mask. "No funny business," he said, pushing the heavy door open.

Austin and Tim bided their time, not wanting this fight to happen mere inches away from a fall down the stairs. Their eyes were fixed on the man who had taken them from their families months prior.

This was it. They had to take this chance, or create it.

Perhaps their kidnapper was getting cocky, because this was a grave mistake. He clearly wasn’t aware of just how unafraid these guys had become of the prospect of getting shot. Tim and Austin hadnothingto lose. Really, the crazy man should've brought them upstairs one by one.

When they reached the little vestibule with three other doors, Austin and Tim took a collective breath as they watched their target slowly reach out to the keypad, though he still kept his eyes on Austin and Tim.

But there was that one flicker of a second where the kidnapper had to make sure he'd punched in the correct code.

Gun or no gun, Austin and Tim charged.

Austin was crazed with fury and desperation as he rammed into the madman. He heard the shot that rang out, but he barely registered the bullet piercing his flesh, lodging deeply in his bicep. He barely felt the shocking pain that exploded and spread throughout his body, either.

The taste of possible freedom overrode any fear.

With his shoulder pressing forcefully into their kidnapper's collarbone, Austin slammed his forehead against the man's nose, causing him to stumble back. The trigger was pulled again, and Tim shouted a curse. But Tim wasn’t deterred, either. While Austin pinned the psycho and tried to harm him however possible, Tim struggled to get the guns, which wasn’t easy without use of his hands.

A third shot echoed painfully loud in the small space just as Austin managed to put all his body weight into a shove that broke the madman's arm against a doorframe. It bent in an odd way, a hoarse scream filling the air, and one gun dropped to the ground.

Before they could free their hands, Tim just kicked the gun aside and went to the other side to get the second gun.

"Justice will prevail!" the kidnapper screamed.

"Count on it," Austin growled, struggling to keep the man pinned to the wall. "You sick bastard." Fatigue and pain were quickly taking over, but he refused to surrender now. Through the closed door that led to the basement, they could hear the shouts of their fellow captives. "Jesus Christ." The man managed to knee Austin in the gut, though Tim defended him by ramming his shoulder into the kidnapper's throat. It was a good thing he was so freaking tall.

"Sam and Frank deserve to die." Mr. Crazy's voice was a choked breath.

"We're not them!" Tim shouted and finally managed to get control of the second gun. It was dropped to the floor, and without wasting time, he and Austin pulled their prey down to the ground. "Sit on him."

Austin did better than that. His ass hit the ground and he planted his elbow into the madman's upper back. Austin's arms burned, his hands aching to be free, but this had to do for now. The kidnapper was facing the floor, several feet away from his guns, and he had a sharp elbow keeping him in place.

So, while Austin made sure their captor couldn’t move, Tim moved around in search of the keys.

"This isn't over," the madman wheezed out.

"That’s for damn certain," Austin grunted. "You're still breathing."

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