Chapter 25

AN: A special thank you to missgroovychik and others who sent me in ideas; this chapter is for you and for the ones who send in feedback, thank you all : )

Tom crept down the stairs cringing as the thirteenth step down creaked loudly under his weight. “Figures it would be lucky number thirteen” Tom thought to himself as he counted the steps down to the basement to calm his nerves.

He stepped off of the last step, which was number 21, and squinted to adjust his eyes more so he could see inside the darkened room. Before he could walk closer to the location of Brian’s bed, a pair of arms grabbed him from behind and a light was turned on. Before he was spun around the last thing he saw was a pair of frightened and tired eyes silently pleading with him.

“So you actually thought you would get away with it this time did ya Tom?” a slurred voice questioned.

“I..” Tom started to say before he was kicked from behind and fell to the cement floor with a loud grunt.

“I didn’t say you could talk!” the voice bellowed. “Littrell get your ass over here!” he ordered.

Brian got up from the bed and stood on shaking limbs, wishing a hole would open and swallow him up; anything to get him away from this place. He slowly walked over to where the man, Charlie stood and waited for further instructions.

“Here kid. I want you to hold this and do exactly as I say, no funny business alright?”

Brian nodded meekly and reached out his hand, his eyes widening as the heavy object was placed in his hand. From upstairs Brian could hear what sounded like someone pounded on the door.

“Hurry” the voice beside him hissed. Brian watched silently as Adam tied Tom’s hands behind his back and tied his ankles together with a piece of worn down rope.

“Ok here is the deal Littrell” Charlie stated, a slight tremble of nervousness passing through his voice as heavy footsteps were heard from upstairs. “Tom here is your target. I want you to shoot him, you only have two shots so make it good. Don’t try anything cause both Adam and I have guns and we won’t hesitate to shot you. Actually on second though we may just shoot you anyways” Charlie brought out the gun from the holder just to prove his point and gave Brian an evil grin. By this time, the people Brian had heard upstairs were now pounding on the basement door and it sounded like they were getting very close to breaking it down, Brian felt his heart fill with hope. As Charlie and Adam looked on Brian raised the gun and willed himself to stop shaking. From the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie lift his gun and point it right at him and Brian pulled the trigger, and silence filled the room and Brian’s mind.

***

“Is there anything you can do about it?” Howie asked in exasperation at the sudden turn of events.

“Not until the person has been missing more than 24 hours Mr. Dorough. I’m terribly sorry.” Office Daniels apologized but at the same time firmly held his ground.

Officer Daniels excused himself as his cell phone rang and he walked to a quiet corner in the waiting room. “Hello? What happened? Is anyone DOA? Ok I will be right there.”

Three anxious and tired young men stood in front of him as soon as he ended his conversation. “They found him,” he stated. Before anyone could react to what he said he continued with his news. “But two people are in serious condition and one has died instantly.”