CHAPTER TWENTY SIX - REVERSED POSITIONS
Sammy heard the door close which signalled that Brian had left and then turned off the television. He peeped out of the window and watched as Brian began to jog down the road to the small cluster of stores a few minutes away. He yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily, hoping that Brian would be home quickly so that he could have his bedtime story before he fell asleep. He did not like to go to sleep without his story anymore.
He picked up his favourite toy Rocky and his new horse who he had named Ross and then pattered out of the room where he then stood staring up at the stairs. Curiously he bounced up onto the third step and then he snuck up to the top where he then stared at the Forbidden Door at the end of the landing.
Who was it in there? He had never seen them and only heard their voice a few times. He wanted to meet them. He wanted to make the sick boy better and cheer him up by playing with him. He felt sorry for him because he was sick. Sammy hated it when he was ill. He hated the boredom of being stuck in bed and the awful feeling of sitting in the cold bathroom waiting to be sick. He was lucky because he always had Brian to look after him, but this boy was alone for a lot of the day.
But Sammy had promised Brian that he wouldn’t peek and so he wouldn’t. He sighed and jumped back down the stairs, hoping that the boy would be better soon so that Sammy could play with him.
He sat back down in the lounge and began to play with Rocky and Ross, making them trek across the dangerous terrain of the couch and the blue cushions of doom. He froze as he heard the doorbell ring and he felt the strange sensation of his heart hammering harder in his chest as he ducked behind a chair. He hated it when the door rang in case it was the bad people again. He was still frightened after the time some men had snatched him and Brian.
He cuddled his toys close as the doorbell buzzed a second time. He slowly stood up and scampered over to the front door, trying to peer through the stained glass in case it was Nick or someone.
For the third time the door buzzed, but Sammy made no move to open it, remembering the promise he had made to Brian.
‘Never answer the door if I’m not in. You don’t know who it could be. Promise, Sammy?’
‘Okay.’
He didn’t ever want to make Brian and so he always kept his promises, even if he was desperate to meet their visitor in the spare room.
He ignored the door and sat down on the stairs instead, making Ross and Rocky bounce up and down the steps.
He still did not acknowledge the door when the knocking began… until it grew louder and harder. He stared at the door fearfully as something hard battered against it, something that sounded much harder than a fist. He found himself squeaking in fear as he saw the door bounce and shake on its hinges.
He dashed up the stairs and curled himself up into a protective ball on the landing as he heard another bang hit the door as someone tried to break in. What did he do now?
*********************
B slowly became aware that there was a banging coming from somewhere. He groaned in misery as he was pulled from his dark world of slumber where nausea and headaches did not exist. He was still frightened by the incident yesterday where Brian said he had collapsed. How could he have forgotten who he was and how could he have forgotten his own father?
He rolled over in his bed as he heard a tremendous bang from downstairs. He moaned as his head pounded with the noise and then he realises that there was an urgent scratching at his door and a tiny, sobbing voice.
“Brendan! Brendan!”
B paused for a moment, unsure of how to react. Brian had told him to keep the door closed and to stay away from Sammy, but the boy was crying frantically and the fearful sobs cut straight into B’s heart. How many times had he cried like this and Sammy had always been there to help him.
There was another bang from downstairs and this time there was the sound of splintering wood. B sat up as Sammy’s wails increased and he frantically tapped against B’s door.
“Brendan, help!” he sobbed.
There was nothing B could do to ignore the voice, he would be ashamed of himself for the rest of his life if he left Sammy out there on the landing crying. He carefully crept out of bed and opened the door. No sooner was it open that Sammy was crying and wrapping tiny arms about his legs. B leant down and held him close. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
“People trying to break in!” Sammy wailed. He pointed downstairs and B’s heart lurched as he realised what the banging was. They really were being attacked. There was another fearsome bang and then there was a sound which B recognised all too well… the high pitched noise of a laser. There was the sound of wood being shattered and vaporised and B seized hold of Sammy and pushed him into the darkness of his own room.
He fiddled with the primitive bolt on the door, grunting as it stuck slightly and refused to budge. He bit down hard on his lip and pushed it across as he heard the sound of someone entering the house.
“Who is it?” Sammy asked tearfully.
“I don’t know,” B lied, but he did know who it was. Only the Gerai could have a handheld laser. They had found him at last. “Where’s d… Brian?”
“Shops,” Sammy whispered. “He be back soon. I’m scared!”
“It’s okay,” B whispered soothingly as he bundled Sammy onto his lap, marvelling at how tiny and light his older brother was. He could feel him trembling with sobs and he rocked him gently and, begging him to stop crying. “Be quiet,” he whispered. “He’ll be home soon.”
‘Please hurry.’
His heart hammered inside of his chest as he heard heavy boots clumping up the stairs, the Gerai obviously having found nothing downstairs. He could not help but let a faint cry of fear slip from his own lips for a brief second as he heard the stranger frantically bashing open the first doors along the landing.
“What does he want?” Sammy whispered. “They not after me again?”
B stared down at him and then remembered what Sammy had once told him about his own biological father sending criminals to kidnap them. He rocked him in his arms. “No, he whispered. “Don’t worry.” This time it was not Sammy, but B they were after.
It was very hard for Sammy not to worry though and he was whimpering in B’s arms. B had to try his hardest not to allow his own fear to consume him as he listened to the Gerai’s vicious search for him.
He had to stay calm though. Brian wasn’t here and it was just him and Sammy. Sammy was too little to protect himself so that meant that B would have to do it. He could not allow himself to be frightened, he had to get Sammy out of here. The Gerai wasn’t interested in him, but that didn’t mean that Sammy could not be hurt.
He glanced towards the window, trying not to allow his body to tremble at the thought of Gerai in case he scared poor Sammy even more. The last thing the six year old needed was B paralysing himself with fear.
He lifted Sammy from his lap and placed him on the floor. “Stay and be quiet,” he said as he heard the boots coming their way, the Gerai having probably searched every other room. “I’ll get us out of here.”
Sammy covered his face with his hands as someone attempted to turn the door handle. B’s eyes watched as it frantically rattled and then they began banging on the door, trying to force their way in.
Quickly he began to fiddle about with the window. Below was the flat roof of the garage and he could easily drop down with Sammy and escape. He frantically pushed against it, but the window was stiff and hardly moved. The banging on the door increased and then it stopped.
B gasped as he realised what was about to happen and he grabbed Sammy and hid him beside the bed and threw a blanket over him. “Whatever happens, stay there!” he warned.
Sammy did not have time to reply as there was a sudden whine and then the door exploded in a blast of green light causing the child to scream in fear as he buried himself in the blanket.
B leapt to his feet and then leapt through the remains of the door and found himself knocking into a heavily built man, the same that had tried to snatch him at the seafront. The man was caught off guard and both of them fell to the ground.
“Why won’t you leave me alone!” B screamed hysterically as he fought to wrench the laser from the Gearai’s hands.
“Because you’re an important brat!”
B was flung back by a huge fist and he cried out as he hit the wall, his weakened body having no strength to stand up and fight. “Please let me go,” he begged, putting on the most pathetic voice he could manage.
The Gerai snickered. “After all the trouble I’ve caused you? No, I don’t think so.”
B tried to back away, but he was cornered. How had the Gerai gotten to the house? What had happened to their protector outside? If anything ever happened to him because of B again…
The Gerai was towering above him now and B stared up and blinked tears into his big, green eyes to make himself look younger and vulnerable.
“Aaww no I’m not falling for your little ‘I’m cute so leave me alone trick’!” he snapped as he extended a hand to grab him.
“You already did!” B replied as he kicked his feet up, but to his surprise the Gerai grabbed them before he could kick his face.
“No, I don’t think I did,” he hissed.
“Let go!” a third voice suddenly screamed.
B’s eyes widened as he saw that Sammy had grabbed one of the big heavy scrap books from B’s room and he smacked it about the back of the Gerai’s head. The older man was shocked by the blow and released B’s feet. B quickly gave him a flimsy punch to the face and then grabbed the gun from his hands. The Geria cried out and held his hands to his face and B took the opportunity to kick him in the stomach as he jumped to his feet.
“Sammy, go wait for Brian!” he screamed as he gave the six year old a push towards the stairs, having no time to marvel about the braveness the little boy had. If the Gerai caught him he would never be able to fight back.
By now the Gerai was hobbling to his feet and his face twisted into one of hatred and malevolence as he caught sight of B. “I swear you’re gonna pay for that! You have no idea what’s coming to you! You’re going to die no matter what you do!”
B held the laser in his hands and twisted the dial to lower the setting from kill to stun before pointing it at the Gerai. “Leave.”
The Gerai laughed. “Been feeling ill recently have we? My, my, one wonders if you will ever get better.”
B felt something cold drifting through his body at the words of certainty.
Suddenly the man leapt forwards. B squeezed the trigger, but the Gerai had already knocked into him and the beam missed entirely and hit the ceiling instead as B fell back. The Gerai forcefully gripped his arms and attempted to wrestle the gun from his hands.
“Give it here!” he screamed harshly.
B elbowed the Gerai in the face and then hurled the gun along the landing where it was out of his reach. He could never get a good shot this close and he couldn’t risk the Gerai getting it. He kicked his legs up and this time he was not prevented as his feet connected with the man’s face. Then he began to scream, trying to draw attention from the neighbours or form anybody who could help.
“Shut the fuck up!” the Gerai snapped. Even though his face was black with bruises he was still not prepared to surrender.
B tried to crawl away from him, but the Gerai grabbed him. B cried out as cruel fingers dug tightly into his leg and then he felt himself pulled back to his captor. Before he could grab his wrists, B delivered another punch to the man’s face, thankful that Kevin had taught him self defence a while back.
He jumped to his feet and then ran to the stairs. Where was Brian? Why wasn’t anybody helping them? What had the Gerai done to his guardian angel outside?
The Gerai growled in a furious rage and leapt up in chase of B. He easily caught the weakened teenager up, but B was prepared as the Gerai seized him again and he turned and then pushed the Gerai down the stairs.
He watched, feeling slightly sick as he saw the man hit almost every step on the way down and when he hit the ground he was perfectly still for a moment. B quickly retrieved the gun and pointed it ready at the Gerai. He was not about to go down there and fall for the feigned hurt and injury.
Sure enough, after a moment or so the Gerai lifted his ugly, bruised head and B shivered at the cold glimmer of malice that he saw in the dark eyes. “I’m going to get you kid. I’ve already knocked your protector outside unconscious so he can’t help you and as for - ”
Suddenly Brian came hurling through the front door and smacked the Gerai about the face in pure rage. “Stay away from us!” he yelled.
The Gerai fell back to the ground and spat out a thick globule of blood from his mouth. He suddenly swung around and punched Brian straight back, but he clearly knew his fight was over. He did not even try to take B again and instead headed through the front door.
“This isn’t over yet, Littrells!” he screamed.
B still held the gun in his hands and he trembled as the Gerai finally left. He saw Brian peering out of the front door. “He’s gone,” he said softly.
“Thank God,” B whispered as he fell to his knees trembling. He felt cold, sick and his heart thumped so hard in exhaustion that it hurt him and sent even more violent shudders throughout his body.
“B, I gotta get Sammy. I hid him outside. I’ll be back in a second.”
B nodded. Of course Brian could not leave Sammy wherever he had left him. The Gerai could return.
He dragged his body down a few steps but gave up half way down and instead slumped against them, shivering and coughing in discomfort.
A moment later and Brian was back carrying a trembling Sammy in his arms. He deposited the boy in the lounge and B heard him talking with the little boy for a moment and calming him down before he then returned to B, sitting down beside him and taking him into his arms.
“You okay?” he asked, tears filling his voice. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it in time when Sammy came screaming down the street.”
“I’m okay,” B whispered. He had been lucky not to have been hit too much by the Gerai and it was juts the shock which left him feeling so numb and sick.
A tear rolled down Brian’s face in relief and he kissed B’s head. “Thank you for looking after Sammy as well.”
“He was so brave,” B replied.
Brian kissed him again and then returned to the lounge to pick Sammy up. The little boy’s face was pale and blotchy from the tears and B could see him shaking in Brian’s arms. “It was a burglar,” he whispered to the child. “Nobody after you and nobody who’s going to come back.” He looked up at B. “I’m going to get Sammy settled upstairs.”
B nodded and watched as his father carried Sammy up the stairs. The boy smiled at him as he passed but b hoped that the tiny glimpse would do little to upset the future. He waited until he heard Brian enter Sammy’s room and then followed them both up and sat down outside of Sammy’s room, not wanting to stay downstairs alone. He could hear Brian singing a soothing song to Sammy and reassuring him.
It was a long time before Brian returned to B’s side. He sat down beside him silently.
“How is he?” B asked eventually.
“Scared and shaken. I promised that either me or you would keep an eye on him all night.”
“What are we going to do?” B whispered as the tears began to fall. “He’ll be back.”
Brian nodded. “ I know. I – I’m going to get Sammy out of here. It’s not safe for him. Me and you should also move out of here. I’ll call and make some arrangements tonight.”
“What happened to the Gerai?” B asked, thinking about the one outside. What if he was badly hurt? It had almost killed B that day he had walked into the medical centre and seen him lying there so close to death… what was he like now?
“He drove away in a car,” Brian said. “I don’t think he’ll be back again tonight.”
“I need to go outside,” B said. “He hurt my… friend. I have to check that he’s okay.” He was crying as he thought about him and he weakly tried to wipe the tears away.
“B, I’ll go, you stay inside,” Brian said firmly.
“No, I want to go. I’ve got this.” He held up the gun for Brian to see. Brian couldn’t go… Brian wouldn’t understand. “Watch me from the front door if you like.”
Brian scrutinised him but he seemed to be able to sense B’s determinedness and merely nodded. B loved him all the more for being so understanding. It only made everything else so much more confusing and hurtful…
* * * * *
It was cold as B stepped out into the night with the blanket and the note in his hand. Brian stood beside the broken doorway, watching as he walked across the street into the darkness.
B searched about the bench and then finally he saw the fallen figure beneath a tree. Gently he sat down beside him and allowed his tears to fall onto his exposed hand. He was breathing and there was no burn mark, he’d only be stunned. Thank God… He clasped the hand tightly, feeling the complicated mixture of emotions brining up inside as he stared down at the familiar face.
Why did he hate him? Why did they not get along? Why was B so hateful towards him?
It all seemed so much easier to hate someone he did not see eye to eye with…
“I’m sorry,” B whispered. “I’m sorry.” He kissed his hand, glad that he was unconscious and unable to see the gesture. He carefully tucked the blanket about him, knowing that he would wake soon anyway. He couldn’t take him into the house and let Brian see him… he’d freak.
He slowly placed the note in his hand, the one that told him he was okay. That would stop him from coming to the house and checking on him and B was still not ready to face him properly. He had no idea how he would react.
He couldn’t return home with him, not yet. There would still be the same tension and the hatred that had been there before. B couldn’t bear that. How could he ever return to that time again?